I'm Dr. Denise T. Miller, Principal at St.Petersburg Challenge School. Welcome to our web site! Our educational program provides a specialized, positive, and encouraging environment where all children can learn and experience success. Children are placed in classes of no more than 18 where they receive individualized attention to curriculum needs from their teachers. Our specialized staff demonstrate current state-of-the-art strategies in order to assess student progress and focus instructional efforts.

This dropout prevention program also features a full-time student services team (a guidance counselor, psychologist and social worker), who provide individual and small group counseling based on student need. Additionally, families are helped to utilize community resources for counseling and other basic needs. Through this holistic approach, it is expected children will remain in school through graduation from high school.

Our Challenge School provides a voluntary alternative program for fourth and fifth grade students in a positive, encouraging learning environment where all children can experience success and develop responsibility. We feature:

small class size (1 teacher per 18 students),

individualized and small group instruction,

family involvement activities,

business and community involvement,

individual and group counseling.

been retained,

low self-esteem,

low grades,

excessive absences,

a stressful family situation.

an integrated, thematic curriculum to include all academic areas,

an emphasis on reading and writing, with school-wide consistent strategies, utilizing various techniques, such as: retellings, fiction and non-fiction strategies, literacy circles, flexible reading groups, and readers/writers workshop,

an experiential and problem solving science curriculum,

health, behavior and personal development skills through an intensive affective approach and curriculum (e.g., critical thinking, problem solving, social skills training, cooperative learning),

related arts (Art, Music, Physical Education),

contemporary skills taught through mini-computer labs and computers in each classroom.

basic skills enhancement (Reading, Language Arts, and Math) through a computer lab, which tracks student progress and provides the teacher with individualized reports.

academic integration and motivation through a hands-on career lab.

increase self-esteem,

improve academic achievement,

increase school attendance,

increase family involvement,

teach responsible, respectful and cooperative behavior.

Our future efforts are being guided by quality processes. We plan to have 3 main School Improvement Teams (SIT) for the 1996-97 school year. Goal A stands for Achievement, Goad B for Behavior and Goal C for Communication. We will continue evaluating our systems by completing the Superintendent's Quality Challenge application yearly.

For more information or comments email to:millerd2@mail.firn.edu

Dr. D. T. Miller